Harris: Westminster Army Reserve Center No Longer Considered For Housing Immigrants

Following objections from Carroll County officials and some Westminster residents, the Department of Heath and Human Services has decided not to use a former Army Reserve Center in Westminster to temporarily house some of the thousands of undocumented children and teenagers coming to the U.S. at the Mexican border.

A spokesman for Maryland 1st District Republican Congressman Andy Harris, whose district includes part of Carroll County, told WBAL News that Harris was notified late Saturday of the Department's decision .

In a statement on his Facebook page Harris said, "my office was just notified that the site in Carroll County won't be used by HHS to house unaccompanied minors who have entered our nation illegally. This is the right decision/ Flying them to MD to only turn around and send them back home makes no sense. I'm glad to see that HHS listened to my objections and those of so many local officials."

Officials in Westminster had been notified that the facility on Malcolm Drive was being considered on Friday, and many local officials and some residents had objected.

The facility is actually in the district of Democrat Chris Van Hollen, who issued a statement on Friday saying he was studying the issue, and urging support of the president's request for $3,7-billion to deal with the border issue.

This is the second location in the Baltimore area to be considered then rejected for use for temporarily housing for children coming from Honduras and other Central American countries.

WBAL's David Collins had reported the facility, which had been closed for several years, appeared to be in need of repari.

Last month, a former Social Security Administration office in Downtown Baltimore was rejected, over objections from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and other officials.